Adjustable counterweight lift truck



, P 1950 1. F. SCHRECK 2,504,885

ADJUSTABLE COUNTERWEIGHT LIFT TRUCK I Filed March 23. 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Irvin F Schreck' ATTORNEYS April 18, 195 0 I. F. SCHRECK ADJUSTABLE COUNTERWEIGHT LIFT TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 23, 1948 INVENTOR Irvin F. Schreck ATTO ' motor as counterwelghts; I

invention pertains. I

Patented 7; s

Eiimmsmcomwmmm I canon if mini.seal-ear, mmuneHeig ts,01m Application M nzmuasenu No.3,!

rm; convenient sss teanms in? rest icted esp-of warehouses and oth'erbuildings; it I isv desirable-that the frames ofl tjtrucksof the j .characte'r referred ;to,be relahtively short p when so constructed [the trucks iarefof limited floadj; 'ca'pacity ofexcessively .-'load"to overbalance'the' truck.'-

constructiom; due to the tendency of the f It is, the object'of" the present" m t on to I provide means to enablea, lift truck 'to handleheavier loads --without-- increasing the weight thereof .andwithout. its maneuverabilityJf I I v More-specifically, objects of the invention are i I toprovide'the lift truck frame with a' rearward]! extensible portion 'thatg'carries a counterweight v, .r t w bmncms meansfor lift trucks offthe'type havingavertlcally'flmovable carrier that picks up, and supports aload in advance of the'f'ront wheels "ofthetruck-nf' I j t "(or 214-41 [standard 2 and has carrying platform 1 preferably adapted to be inforwardly projecting load sertedunder a load supporting pallet to lift the w same The carriage 6 is operated by means of a hoist cylinder ,8 mounted on the standard-2 and liquid under pressure is supplied to the cylinders that are positioned on opposite sides of the standard 2.

' and a bye; suitable pump 9 from a liquid reserframe rearwardly of the voir lllmounted on the The frame I supported upon front wheels I l standard 2 and upon a rear-traction and steeringfwheel l2 that is mounted in a frame I! swiveled in the truck. frame I to turn about a vertical axis. The frame It carries an electric motor H which drives the wheel 12 through a I I sprocket chain I 5. An operator's platform I is provided at the rear endof the frame I rearwardl'y' of the swiveled frame I! and at the front end offthis platform there is a vertical panel l1 s which -provides support for a steering column so thatl'the' loadbalancing characteristics of the I J truckfmaybe' to v employ the'batterles I that supply current to the truck propelling With thej-aboveand other objects view, the

invention may be 'sa id-'tjof comprise the truck as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, hereinafter described and-particularly set forth in a the appended claims, together with such varia-' tions'. andmodiflcations thereof as will be ap-" parent-to one skilled in the art. toi which the Reference should be'i'had to 'the ,accoinpanying drawings'forming a partjof this 'speciflcationpin whichz' l8 journaledin bearings carried by the panel and frame [and having a steering wheel I; at 7 its upper endpositioned conveniently for operation by an operator standing-onthe platform It. The column It has a pinion at its lower end thatmeshes 'with'a large gear 2 lon the frame 13 through which the frame I} is turned about its axisto steerthe truck. The'panel I! Figurefl is a side elevation bf a truck em-g bodying the invention; d I Fig. 2 is a topplan view ofthe truck;

Fig-*3 is a rear elevation of the-truck-{Jand Fig. ,4 is affragment'ary verticaLj longitudinal taken on'thelineindicat'ed at I section .l lg. 3.

' y Referring to the accon ipanying' drawingsther present invention is -shovvnapplled to a lift truckofa well known ty'pe having a frame! ahda'standard' 2. connected to the? front end also provides support for a suitable motor controller 22 of the-'sleevetype which is also posia. v

tioned for convenient operation by an operator standing on the platform It. ,A pair of :levers 23 and 24 are also provided for controlling the delivery of fluid under pressure to the cylinders 4 and I.

On opposite sides ofthe swiveled frame I! the I truck frame I has longitudinally extending ways formed by horizontally disposed longitudinally extending plates 25 that are supported centrally .by members 26 extending longitudinally of the frame. On their upper faces the plates 25 have parallel longitudinalbars 21 attached thereto v -up'on whichfranle members in the form of battery receptaclesll are adapted to slide. The

I batteryreceptacles have front and side walls 20 portion of the truclr frame -I by a horizontal pivot LI The standardi is s,movable from its vertical position shown l. to .arearwardly inclined position bymeans :of an inclined hyv draulic cylinder that is pivoted to theframel at its lower end andithat'has. a piston I "pivoted at 'itsiupper end tothestandard'L A carriage is mounted-for vertical movement on the The rear end of the receptacle is open for insertion orremoval of.batteries', a cross bar 32 being provided across the rear'end above the bottom to provide a stop to retain a battery in the receptacle.- The batteries 33 flt within the receptacles 28 and these batteries. which vweigh 400 pounds or more "apiece, serve as counterweishts as. well as to,

supply currentto the truck propelling The battery receptacles are mounted for movement rearw .lect beyond the rear ends of the plates 25 and form an extension of the truck frame. The bottom SI of each of the battery receptacles is provided with downwardly extending flanges 35 that straddle the plates 25 and the outer flange to positions in which they proof each of they receptacles has an angle bar 35 attached thereto that closely u'nderli'es the-under.

side of the plate 25. The inner flange of each of the receptacles has a rack bar 36 attached a 1 thereto which underlies the plate 25 so that each fling frame Qswlveled in said t rucl'r"frame rearwardly of said front wheels, 9. traction wheel carried by the swiveled frame, a motor on the swiveled frame; for driving said traction wheel, an opreceptacle has telescopic engagement "with iitsL supporting plate 25, the teeth of the rack bar" 3 being below the lower edge of the portion of the flange 3| to which it is attached. Across shaft 31 journaled in the frame I is provided with pinions 38 at its opposite ends that mesh with the rack bars 35 and is driven by a sprocket chain 3! through a sprocket ll on said shaft, the chain 3! being driven by a sprocket ll adjacent the upper end of the panel I! which is adapted to be operated by a hand crank 42.

The truck frame with its traction wheel, the

propelling motor, the operator and the traction wheel I! serves to balance normal loads on the platform .I and prevent tilting of the truck about "er'a'tors platform on the truck frame rearwardly of said swiveled frame, longitudinal ways on said truck frame disposed on opposite sides of said .swiveled frame, counterweights slidable on said ways, a steering mechanism and a controller for said'motor mounted on the truck frame between "said'counterwelghts, and means for simultaneously shifting said counterweights forwardly and rearwardly on said ways.

.2. A'lift truck comprising a frame havingastandam at its forward end, aload carrying platform extending forwardly from said standard and mov-' able vertically on the standard, supporting wheels at the forward end of the frame, a carrying frame the axis of the front wheels Ii byloads imposed upon the platform I. However. when very heavy loads are being handled a greater counterbalancing effort is desirable, and this may be provided by-adjusting the portion of the frame carrying batteries rearwardly by operating the crank 42. The telescopic connection between the battery receptacles and the plates 25 permits the battery receptacles to be adjusted rearwardly to extend the'truck frame and position thebatteries at a considerably greater distance from the front end of the truck to enable a heavy load to 'be lifted by the carriage without overbalancing the truck. After the load has been elevated and the standard 2 has been tilted re'arwardLv to load carrying position, less counterbalancing is required and'the batteries may be adjusted forwar'dly if desired to'restore the truck frame to its normal length so that the maneuverability of the truck is not impaired while the load is being transported. The'batteries 33 are connected to the motor 4| by suitable flexible conductor cables 43 of suflicient length to permit the desired travel of the batteries on the truck frame.,

modifications of the specific devices herein shown It is to be understood that variations and described for purposes of illustration, may

. swivele dlin said truck frame rearwardly of said frontjwheels, a traction wheel carried bythe swiveledframe, a motor on the swiveled frame for driving said traction wheel, an operator's platformonthe'truck frame rearwardly of said swiveled'framalongitudinal ways on said truck frame disposed on opposite sides of said swiveled .fraina'saidfways being in opposite sides of said swiveled frame and extending rearwardly over opposite sides of said operator's platform, hat- 4 teries for supplying current .to said motor slid- 'ably mounted on said ways, a steering wheel and a motor controller mounted on the truck frame adjacent said operator's platform and between said batteries, and means for simultaneously shifting said batteries along said ways to vary the load-counterbalancing effect thereof.

IRVIN'F. SCHRECK.

nnrannncns CITED The following references are of record in the flle;of patent:

. STATES PATENTS llun'iber. "Nam Date 592,682 Barrows Oct. 26, 1897 2,015,604 Molinelll Sept. 24, 1935 2,321,848 Schroeder Aug 2Q, 1943 

